EDMONTON, Alberta — Edmonton Oilers left winger Taylor Hall, who was Adam Henrique's junior hockey linemate with the Windsor Spitfires, wasn’t surprised his former teammate got into his first NHL fight Tuesday night in Calgary while registering a Gordie Howe hat trick.

What surprised Hall was that Henrique fought Jarome Iginla in his first professional fight.

“We were coached by a lot of tough guys. Henny fought a lot in junior,” Hall said today, recalling Windsor coach Bob Boughner and general manager Warren Rychel.

“Henny fought a lot in junior. He wasn't afraid to drop the gloves. He was a leader for us and same thing (for the Devils) against Calgary. He saw his team was down and tried to give them a little spark. Not a bad thing that you're first fight's against Jarome Iginla, someone who just scored his 500th goal, and is also a big, tough guy. That's a good story.”

Hall was warned that he could be Henrique’s next target.

“His billet who he lived with in Windsor texted me (Tuesday night) and said: ‘Iggy tonight and you're next tomorrow.’ I can guarantee I won't be fighting Adam,” Hall said, “but for him to take on Iginla that was great.”

Hall's first NHL fight was against tough guy Derek Dorsett of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Henrique's first came against Iginla, two guys who can throw them. Both players admit they were surprised.

"I couldn't have picked that either," Henrique admitted. "I guess that's pretty cool for my first fight. He's a tough guy. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. He plays every aspect of the game. He sticks up for himself when he needs to.

"He's the captain of that team and he leads by example. If he needs to fight, he'll fight. If he needs to go out there and score, he'll score."

Henrique revealed the brief conversation he had with Iginla before the two dropped their gloves.

"He said to stick up for myself or something, so I answered his call, I guess," Henrique said with a laugh. "A little bit.

"I wasn't really expecting it but I guess it was pretty cool to have. I'd rather take the win, but it was good to get the first (fight) out of the way."

Henrique said he knew his target was Iginla when he delivered the shoulder hit.

"I knew it was him," he said. "In that situation you can't pass up the hit no matter who it is. If I do, he walks by me and takes it to the net. You've got to hit him there. You can't pass up those situations. You just have to make sure it's a clean hit."

Hall is teammates with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the favorite for the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year before he injured his shoulder. Henrique is in the running, but Hall wouldn’t say who he is hoping will win it.

"I don't think I can really make a pick, one over the other, but Nuge has been so great for us and same with Henny,” Hall said. “Both neck and neck and it's good to see."

He would not admit to giving Henrique any advice.

“He's having a better rookie season than I had, so I don’t think I should be giving him any advice,” said Hall, who scored 42 points in 65 games last season before suffering an ankle sprain.

Hall was the NHL's first overall draft pick in 2010. Asked if he was surprised Henrique didn't get picked until the third round (82nd overall) by the Devils in 2008, Hall said: ""No, he always had the skill. His first couple of years of junior were the same and after the Devils drafted him, it was like they saw something in him and he sky-rocketed."

Henrique is anxious to face Hall Wednesday night at Rexall Place.

"It will be fun," Henrique said. "Whenever you play against a former teammate from junior in the NHL, it's something to look forward to.

"He (plays) the same way. He flies up and down the wing. He's an exciting player to watch," Henrique said.

Hall was asked about his junior memories involving Henrique.

“Some stuff I can't really say, but on the ice we won two Memorial Cups and when you win it's fun,” Hall said. “Tons of good memories.

"By the end of it we had a lot of chemistry, the last 50 or 60 games together. I was the left wing and he was the center, great chemistry on the power play."